no matter their reason for immigrating, they've come to the u.s. to be productive, tax-paying members of our civil society and to attain the american dream. unfortunately immigrants of the african area like so many groups around the world are dealing with backlogged immigration processes. families being ripped apart, falling out of status because they have aged out of the legal immigration process. racial and status discrimination, unfair criminal aggravated felony laws, depour tration processes that violate -- deportation processes that violate rights and insecure and prohibitive student visa programs, limited access to work permits and much, much more. you see, many immigrants arrive on our shores during a time of their lives when they are the most productive. any delay in processing these individuals, in bringing them to the floor, deny us the opportunity to access their talent, their skill and their ability in the prime of their lives. additionally african-americans, those descendents of the slave trade, whom i fondly call long-time stakeholder